ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the expression of tumor-transforming gene-1 (PTTG1) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and its role in fibrosis.@*METHODS@#Skin biopsy samples were collected from 21 patients with SSc and 22 patients with healthy skin for detecting the mRNA and protein expressions of PTTG1 using real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry, respectively. In cultured primary human dermal fibroblasts, PTTG1 expression was knocked down via RNA interference (siRNA), and the mRNA expression levels of PTTG1 and the fibrosis-related genes @*RESULTS@#Compared with those in normal skin samples, the mRNA and protein expressions of PTTG1 increased significantly in the skin tissue of patients with SSc (@*CONCLUSIONS@#PTTG1 is highly expressed in skin tissues of patients with SSc, and PTTG1 knockdown can reduce the activity of the dermal fibroblasts, suggesting a close correlation of PTTG1 with fibrosis in SSc.
